Art Galleries & Artists
Glass artwork (Danielle Hayes photo)
Salt Spring is internationally recognized for its gifted population of artists and artisans, among them such renowned names as Robert Bateman, Carol Evans and Jill Louise Campbell.
Painters, potters, woodworkers, jewellers, textile artists, fine-art photographers, basket makers and clothing designers abound. Such is Salt Spring's wealth of talent that Coastal Living magazine named the island the top "small arts town in Canada" and one of the top ten such arts colonies in North America.
Studio Tours
Drop into the Visitor Centre in Ganges for an annually updated studio tour map. Then follow the signposts marked by a single sheep to 30-plus home-based studios scattered around the island. Most maintain regular hours during peak (July/August) and shoulder (May/June/September) seasons; all are open by appointment year-round. It's a great way to explore the island, step into some genuinely quaint and charming private homes and meet friendly creatives on their own turf.
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ArtCraft, WinterCraft & Market in the Park
Ganges Saturday Market Artisan - Tourism BC/Adrian DorstEach summer since the 1960s, the local arts council has selected the best of the best from southern Gulf Island artists to showcase in a Ganges heritage hall that doubles as an exhibition and retail space. Nowadays, upwards of 200 artists in all mediums display and sell their work here. A rotating cast of artists also produce new work on site. Open daily from mid-June to mid-September in Mahon Hall, which faces the harbour on the Lower Ganges Road near the town centre.
A sister exhibition known as WinterCraft is held in the same venue during the three-week period before Christmas. Another winner for island-made arts and crafts: the hugely popular Saturday Market in the Park during its annual run from April to October.
Galleries
Gallery, Salt Spring Island - John CameronIn addition to ArtCraft, Ganges is home to a collection of galleries exhibiting the work of artists with regional, national and/or international reputations. The largest of these, the Pegasus Gallery of Canadian Art, is tucked away in the back of the 1912-era Mouat's Trading Co. store. Contemporary First Nations and even some museum-worthy pieces (i.e., Emily Carr, the Group of Seven) are on display here. Steps away on the far side of the Tree House restaurant is a gallery dedicated exclusively to the work of watercolourist Jill Louise Campbell. Two more galleries can be found in Grace Point Square, while the walls of many local restaurants serve as an exhibition space for up-and-coming island talents.
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